Workholding device



Feb. 14, 1961 v. DEBs 2,971,756

woRKHoLDING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1e, 1957 United States Patent C WORKHQLDING DEVICE Victor Debs, Ridgewood, N.Y., assigner to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 16, 1957, Ser. No. 678,566

8 Claims. (Cl. 269-4142) This invention relates in general to workholding devices that are adapted to hold a number of work pieces on which an operation is to be performed, and more particularly this invention relates to a nesting device adapted to be used with cutol' machines, as for example a machine such as shown in U.S. Patent No. 1,596,033.

An object of this invention is to provide a nesting device which will rmly secure a plurality of objects such as bar stock for a simultaneous cutoi operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a nesting device wherein work pieces are laterally held between a stationary vertical jaw and a horizontally movable vertical jaw at the same time as they are vertically held between the horizontal base plate extending between the jaws and at least one vertically movable, horizontal hold down bar.

A further object of this invention is to provide at least one vertically movable, horizontal hold down bar to be used in cooperation with a horizontal base plate supporting two vertical jaws in such a manner that the downward force applied to the horizontal hold down bar to hold it downwards against work pieces placed on the base plate between the jaws may be applied to the hold down bar at a point midway between the vertical jaws.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a rugged, simple, and easily adjusted nesting device which makes use of and may be rapidly placed upon or removed from the stationary vertical jaw and the movable vertical jaw of a work piece holding vise mounted upon a cuto or like machine.

Other objects, advantages, and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention and its practice otherwise as will be understood from the following7 description and accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the nesting device with the two vertical jaws and the work pieces shown in phantom lines and with both ends of the base plate broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the nesting device without the base plate and with the two vertical jaws shown in phantom lines; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Fig. 1 shows the horizontal base plate 1l) which supports the stationary vertical jaw 1l. The adjustable vertical jaw 12 is slidably attached to the base plate and may be moved Patented Feb. 14, 1961 tionary jaw 11 by means of the nuts 19 which are turned downward about the studs 20. The other end of the main support member 18 is slidably secured to the top surface of the movable jaw 12 by means of the stud 21 which is anchored into the movable jaw to extend upward through the longitudinal slot 22 in the main support member. A nut 23 is turned downward over a washer 24 about the stud 22 so that, as the movable jaw is opened and closed, the stud moves within the longitudinal slot while the nut and the washer hold the main support member in sliding contact with the top of the movable jaw. The hydraulic cylinder 25 is secured to the main support member 18 by means of the bolts 26 which extend through the lower ange 27 of the hydraulic cylinder, through the longitudinal slot 22 in the main support member 18, and into the T nuts 28 which are disposed below and partially within the longitudinal slot 22. A-lf the bolts 26 are turned upwards and loosened, the hydraulic cylinder 25 will slide along the longitudinal Slot 22 in the main support member 18 to be positioned selectively midway between the jaws 11 and 12. A cross member 29 is secured to the hydraulic cylinder below by means of the operating rod 14 connected to said jaw the main support member v18 so that it can be raised and lowered by the hydraulic cylinder.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, two integral vertical walls 30 and 31 extend upwards from the ends of the cross member 29 to have the clamp bars or hold down bars 32 and 33 secured to their outer surfaces by means of the washers 35 and the bolts 34 which extend through the horizontal slots 36 and 37 in the hold down bars. The hydraulic cylinder 25 has an upper ange 38 formed integrally with it so that the four bolts 9 may extend through the upper ange, past the hydraulic cylinder, and into the lower ilange 27 to secure the hydraulic cylinder to the lower flange. The tubing 39 conducts a hydraulic liuid under pressure to the litting 40 to activate the hydraulic cylinder.

Referring to Fig. 3 in greater detail, the hydraulic cylinder 25 is slidably secured to the main support member 18 by means of the lower flange 27 and the T nuts 28 as has been described. The piston 41 within the hydraulic cylinder 25 has a downward central extension 42 that extends through the lower ange 27 and through the longitudinal slot 22 in the main support member 18. The piston 41 also has an upward central extension 43 that extends upwards through the upper ange 38. Disposed upward within a threaded channel 62 that is formed from below the downward central extension 42 through the piston 41 and into the upward central eX- tension 43 is the threaded securing member 44 which has the disk shaped head 45 carrying the smaller cylindrical extension 46. The cross member 29 and thereby the hold down bars 32 and 33 are secured below the disk shaped head 45 of the threaded securing member 44 by the bolt 47 and the washer 48 which fix the cross member about the smaller cylindrical extension 46 and iixit to the disk shaped head 45. The upward control extension 43 contains the slot 49 by means of which the entire piston, the upward central extension, and the downward central extension may be turned relative to the threaded securing member 44 within the hydraulic cylinder. In this manner, the threaded securing member may be extended downwards out of the threaded channel 62 as the slot 49 is turned. Thus the height of the hold down bars 32, 33 over the base plate may be adjusted to bring the hold down bars to the work pieces before the hydraulic cylinder is activated. As shownin Fig. 3, the hold down bars 32, 33 are so adjusted as to be in their highest position. In this position, thedownward central extension, the piston, and .the upward Ycentral extension have been turned to Ydraw Athe threaded securing member as far upward as possible until the disk 3 shaped head rests against the lower end of the downward central extension.

In order to prevent the hold down bars being adjusted to so low a position that the threaded securing member 44 becomes Vdisengaged Vfrom the threaded channel 62, the stops 57 and 58 aresecuredto the top surfaces of the vertical walls 3) and 31 Yby means of the screws 8. As the threaded securing member is extended from the threaded channel by theturning of the slot 49, the cross member is thereby lowered until the inward facing ends of the stops 57 and 58 come to rest in the elongated notches 59 and 60 which areV cut into the upper side edges of the main support member 1S. In this manner, thestops limit this downward adjustment while the threaded channel and the threaded securing member are still'cooperatively engaged.

In operation, the hold down bars are brought down to the work by turning slotted member 43. The hydraulic cylinder is centered between vertical'jaws 11 and 12. Then hydraulic uid under pressure is introduced from the tubing 39 and the fitting 40 into the upper portion 50 of the hydraulic cylinder above the piston. The hydraulic pressure seals 51 and 52 prevent the hydraulic uid from escaping confinement within the hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic fluid thus forces the piston downward together with the threaded securing member 44, the head 45 and cross member 29. This downward force is from the walls 36, 31 to the hold down bars 32, 33 through suitable bushings 54, 53. It it is considered to be desirable, the lowerA edges of the hold down bars may be protected by facing strips 55 and 56 `which are secured in place in any conventional manner.

When the device is used in conjunction with a horizontal band saw to hold work pieces fora cut-off operation, the saw lblade would travel from left to right as it moves downward in a substantially horizontal position as close as possible to the edge 61 of the stationary jaw 11 as shown in Figs. l and 2. ln this manner the blade would cut off the work pieces 7 secured for such a cutoff operation as shown in Fig. l. Here the work pieces are stacked between the vertical jaws on the base plate while the bolts 26 and the bolts 34 are loosened so that first the hydraulic cylinder may be positioned approximately midway between the two vertical jaws and then the hold down bars may be moved towards the stationary jaw until their vertical ends 63 and 64 rest against the inside face of the stationary vertical jaw. Then the bolts 26 and 34 may be tightened after which the hold down bars may be lowered downward as has been described by turning the easily accessible slot 49 until they approach the work pieces. At this time the movable vertical jaw is moved inwards by the operating rod as the hold down bars are moved downward by the hydraulic cylinder to irmly grip the work pieces.

There are many practical advantages inherent in this particular construction. As can be seen in Fig. 2, the stationary vertical jaw is wider than the movable vertical jaw so that the hold down bars may extend on either side of the movable jaw while abutting the face of the stationary jaw. The vertical ends 63 and 64 of the hold down bars allow their rapid and easy horizontal alignment when the bolts 34 are loosened and the hold down bars are being laterally positioned before the bolts 34 are again tightened. This abutting of the vertical ends of the hold down bars also prevents any rotation of the hold down bars 'and the cross member about a vertical axis as they are being adjusted vertically by the turning of the slot 49. When the hold down bars are being positioned and the bolts 34 are loosened, the cross member is limited in its rotation about a vertical axis if the threaded securing element tends to turn in the threaded channel because the vertical walls 30 and 31 extend upward on either side of the main support member 18 with but a slight clearance.

One of the most important advantages enjoyed by this invention is theslidable adjustment of the hydraulic cylinder relative to the hold down bars so that the downward force applied to them may be centered between the vertical jaws. This centralizing of the cylinder relative to a group of work pieces between the vertical jaws allows the work pieces to be much more effectively secured. If the operating rod 14 is moved by hydraulic means as a part of a hydraulic system as is often the case in horizontal band saw machines, the hydraulic cylinder may be simultaneously activated by the same hydraulic system. Also, when a large number of cutoi operations are to be performed, the hold down bars and the movable jaw need only be moved a very short diS- tance from the work pieces to allow them to be shifted longitudinally into the path of the saw blade whereupon another slight movement of the movable vertical jaw and the hold down bars secure the work pieces for another cutol operation. This feature allows the nesting device to be used for rapid production operations. However, if it is necessary to interrupt such rapid production operations to use a part of the nesting device as a standard vise to hold a single work piece, the nuts 19 and the nut 23 need only be removed to lift the main support member and the other elements from the vertical jaws to leave them free for such use.

While I have disclosed my invention with particularity in the best form known to me, it will nevertheless be understood that this is purely exemplary and that modilications in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, substitution of materials and substitution of equivalentsmechanically and otherwise, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, except as it may be more particularlyrlimited in the appended claims wherein I claim:

l. A nesting device adaptable for holding a number of work pieces and to be used in combination with a base plate, a pair of jaws having opposed faces mounted along said base plate, at least one of said jaws being movable toward and away from said other jaw, said nesting device comprising an elongated main support member xed to the upper portion of one of said jaws and slidably movable with respect to the other of said jaws, a hold down bar disposed substantially parallel to said base plate extending from the face of one jaw toward and beyond said other jaw, means mounting said hold down member on said main support member and means engaging said main support member and said hold down bar to exert a work-holding force on said hold down bar, said means being longitudinally adjustable with respect to said support means and said hold down bar so said force may be exerted on said hold down bar at a point midway between said jaws so that work pieces clamped between said jaws may be clamped between `said base plate and said hold down bar.

2. A nesting device for holding work pieces in a vise having a pair of clamping jaws operating along a base plate, a main support member spaced from said base plate and secured to the upper portion of one of said clamping jaws, said support member slidablyv engaging the other of said clamping jaws, a pair of hold down bars extending from the face of one of said clamping jaws and passing on either side of another of said clamping jaws, a cross member disposed between and adjustably slidably secured to said hold down bars, and means to exert a downward force adjustably mounted on said main support member to be positioned between said jaws along said bars and to engage and exert a downward force on said adjustable cross member so that work pieces may be clamped between said jaws in one direction and held by said hold down bars midway between said jaws and against said base plate in a second direction.

3. A device for holding work pieces having a pair of jaws having opposed clamping faces, one of said jaws having less width than the other of said jaws, a base plate beneath said jaws, a main support member mounted above said jaws, two substantially parallel hold down bars each having a vertical end abutting the vertical face of said jaw of greater width and extending past said jaw of lesser width on either side thereof, a hydraulic cylinder adjustably mounted along said main support member and adaptable to be positioned midway between said jaws, said hydraulic cylinder being adjustably connected to said hold down bars to exert a downward work gripping force on said hold down bars so that work pieces may be horizontally clamped between said jaws and vertically clamped between said base plate and said hold down bars, and vertical adjusting means between said hydraulic cylinder and said hold down bars so said hold down bars may be lowered close to the work piece to reduce the necessary operative stroke of said hydraulic cylinder.

4. A device for holding work pieces having a pair of iaws having opposed clamping faces. one of said jaws having less width than the other of said jaws, a base plate beneath said jaws. a main support member mounted above said jaws, two substantially parallel hold down bars each having a vertical end abutting the vertical face of said jaw of greater width and extending past said jaw of lesser width on either side thereof and a hydraulic cylinder adjustably mounted along said main support member and adaptable to be positioned midway between said jaws, said hydraulic cylinder being connected to said hold down bars to exert a downward work gripping force on said hold down bars, and being adjustable longitudinally thereof, so that work pieces may be horizontally clamped between said jaws and vertically clamped between said base plate and said hold down bars.

5. A device for holding work pieces having a pair of jaws having opposed clamping faces, a base plate beneath said jaws, a main support member mounted above said jaws, two substantially parallel hold down bars each having a vertical end abutting the vertical face of one of said jaws and extending past said other jaw on either side thereof, a hydraulic cylinder adjustably mounted along said main support member and adjustable to be positioned midway between said jaws, said hydraulic cylinder being adjustably connected to said hold down bars to exert a downward work gripping force on said hold down bars so that work pieces may be horizontally clamped between said jaws and vertically clamped between said base plate and said hold down bars, and vertical adjusting means between said hydraulic cylinder and said hold down bars so said hold down bars may be lowered close to the work piece to reduce the necessary operative stroke of said hydraulic cylinder.

6. A nesting device for holding work pieces to be used in conjunction with a base plate, a stationary jaw with a vertical face xed to said base plate, a horizontally movable jaw of less width than said stationary jaw and secured to said base plate, said nesting device comprising a main support member fixed to the upper portion of said stationary jaw and slidably engaging the upper portion of said movable jaw, two parallel hold down bars extending from the vertical face of said stationary jaw to pass on either side of said movable jaw, a cross member disposed between and adjustably secured to said hold down bars, and a hydraulic cylinder adjustably mounted on -said main support and engaging said cross member to exert a downward force on said cross member whereby said hydraulic cylinder and said cross member may be positioned midway between said jaws so that work pieces may be horizontally clamped between said jaws as they are vertically clamped between said base plate and said hold down bars.

7. A nesting device for holding work pieces, a pair of jaws having opposed clamping faces, one of said jaws having less width than the other of said jaws, a base plate beneath said jaws, a main support mounted above said jaws, two substantially parallel hold down bars each having a vertical end abutting the vertical face of said jaw of greater width and extending toward said jaw of lesser Width to pass on either side thereof, a cross member disposed between and adjustably secured to said hold down bars, a hydraulic cylinder adjustably mounted on said main support member to be positioned midway between said jaws to exert a downward force on said cross member so that work pieces may be horizontally clamped between said jaws as they are vertically clamped between said base plate and said hold down bars, and vertical adjusting means between said hydraulic cylinder and said cross member to lower said cross member thereby close to the work pieces to reduce the necessary operative stroke of said hydraulic cylinder.

8. A nesting device for holding work pieces to be used in conjunction with a base plate, a stationary jaw with a vertical face fixed to said base plate, a horizontally movable jaw with a vertical face of less width than said stationary jaw slidably secured to said base plate, and means to move said movable jaw towards said stationary jaw, said nesting device comprising a main support member iixed to the upper portion of said stationary jaw and slidably mounted to the upper portion of said movable jaw, two parallel hold down bars each having a vertical end abutting the vertical face of said stationary jaw with said hold down bars extending in a substantially horizontal plane to pass on either side of said movable jaw, a cross member disposed between and adjustably secured to said hold down bars, a hydraulic cylinder adjustably mounted on said main support member to be positioned midway between said jaws in vany position of said jaws to exert a downward force on said cross member so that work pieces may be horizontally clamped between -said jaws as they are vertically clamped between said base plate and said hold down bars, a piston within said hydraulic cylinder having a lower portion extending towards said cross member and an upper portion extending through a sealed aperture in the upper part of said hydraulic cylinder, and a threaded securing member extending upward from said cross member into cooperative engagement with a threaded channel extending upward at least within the lower portion of said piston so that said entire piston may be turned by means of its upper portion within said hydraulic cylinder to extend said threaded securing member and said cross member downward to lower said hold down bars close to the work pieces to reduce the necessary stroke of said hydraulic cylinder to bring said hold down bars into contact with the work pieces.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Tirone Dec. 11, 1956 

